VIDEO: Shiraj Haque’s bid to back Biggs backfires…(apologies for the tongue-twister)

It’s an interesting insight into how the community elders believe they have influence over people’s votes. And note the lack of discussion about policy merits: the focus is on ensuring a Bengali is elected to power. After all, the elder says, the Pakistanis have their ministers so why can’t we.

Pathetic village politics logic, if my neibours got a dog I must have one, whether I need one or if its any good.

I note the ageist point he makes as they don’t want the older politicians, then on his logic get rid of all the old community leaders and Imams and have much younger ones, some how I think he would not be expressing that view

Today, I was discussing elections in Tower Hamlets with a friend. He explained his perspective on the electoral process involving people from former ‘colonies’ and countries within ‘the Empire that was’.
(i.e. I’m talking history here not the contemporary arrangements re the current Commonwealth of nations)

Put very simply, his notion is that when we are talking about elections which involve people from former colonies, we need to be aware that people whose family come these countries very often have NOT got any sense of the history or heritage of democracy that has developed in the UK since the 17th century. They haven’t had universal suffrage for the last c.100 years or so. For some there is very little or no understanding of what democracy means in this country.

Consequently, the perspective and impetus for many may well not be about the finer points of democracy, and fair elections.

Rather the focus can often tend to be a rather very much more tribal “what’s in it for me/us” approach. For some people that can lead to them doing whatever it takes on occasion to get what they want. Sometimes by fair means but sometimes not – as happened in the last Mayoral election (and quite possibly the one before that)

(I hasten to add I’m simplifying and I well understand that what is described above is not behaviour which applies to everyone with a different heritage)

(This explanation was also tendered as a way of explaining other allegations of bribery/malpractice/fraud/etc relating to the practices of some of the African, Afro-Caribbean and Asian countries in FIFA – and FIFA elections! I have to say the similarities of some of the accusations about what has happened in the past are not lost on me)

So how does LBTH move forward?

My friends’s view is that it is of vital importance that what we used to call “civics” is taught well in school. Those coming through the UK primary and secondary education system MUST be taught knowledge of democracy as it is known in this country and a system of values that underpin how it works.

Bottom line, we need people with a different heritage to know and understand that

1) Political Cheats do not prosper in the UK – they get found out and then they are shamed and punished – as indeed has already happened in relation to the ex-Mayor

2) the “what’s in it for me” approach to elections only serves to illustrate and betray how embedded people are in their past culture and heritage and how little they understand and have integrated with contemporary UK culture.

3) Those who “get on” and succeed in today’s UK are actually those who do “get it” – who do integrate and do embrace the culture of where they are now – with all its associated values around fair elections, honest practice and transparent accountability.

I’m sorry i had to laugh when i read the above post – bar a few votes, less than a 100, almost 37’000 votes were acquired democratically. If anyone needs lessons such as you mention i think its the Toy and labour party. Please dont post such offending bull shit.

100 dodgy votes? There was most certainly over 1000 in my ward alone. Lutfurites were told to harvest 100 votes EACH. Kabir Ahmed and CO had a proper little factory going. Good chunk of these were votes of real people, entitled to vote, they were just filled out for them, which unfortunately is neither democratic, nor legal.

Unwitting racism dressed up in the words of someone really trying ‘to understand’ yet with the ignorance of the most uneducated village peasant.

The average Bangladeshi or even Bengali (including those from W Bengal) and including those from Sylhet, as well as from the big cities, has a far GREATER knowledge and commitment and experience of fighting for their democratic rights, even when the tyrants have won.

That is not something the average person in Britain, in Chipping Sodbury, will have any experience of going back generations. A civil war in the 1970s, hartal after hartal, Recent Bengali history is full of such.

What you have in this clip doesn’t just go against ‘the plan’ of the meeting organiser. It also goes against the plan of most who comment here.

It shows that there is no united Bengali view, such (‘elders’) people have no influence (the shot shows maybe 20 people there although some may have left or be out of shot,) and debate is rife.

And then it is even more ludicrous to think that if there even were a united view from these people, this would have any more influence on the average Bengali voter than a communiqué from the Chipping Sodbury senior citizens council, saying ‘vote UKIP’ would have on the residents of that place.

I understand the need for such articles. Maybe Rabina Khan will win. If so, I presume there will be apologies all round from those here with their hysterical accusations and who will then have to accept THF does have support, the removal of the Mayor was a state coup (even though there was undoubted incorrect activity on the side of THF) and THF had/have majority support. (I would be spoiling my ballot paper if I lived there, incidentally). Jeory will also doubtless close down his blog, in shame, and be on the next bus to Chipping Sodbury. One-way ticket.

I’ll consider apologising if the corruptly elected Rabin and the other 16 councillors elected through corrupt and illegal practices apologise along with the extremist-linked, lying and corrupt Rahman and his lying and corrupt bully-boy sidekick.

But the issue is NOT about fighting for rights. It’s about CORRUPTION!

Right now – in this borough, in this city – nobody has to fight for their rights in this country in the same way people have had to in the past in other countries.

There also has been no “state coup”- even if that’s an explanation which suits “drama queens” and those on the far left!

What has been happening right now here in this country – which is the ONLY country which is relevant – is that people have lobbied hard for the law of the land to apply to every politician, every political agent and every voter – because of the CORRUPTION which has been happened in this borough and which has prevailed for at least the last five years.

Corruption was evidenced and proven on a number of counts – not just one – and the Mayor was removed from his post as was the chief culprit in the wrongdoing which happened on the election front. We now have an election for a new one

Unless and until Rahman brings a court case to overturn ALL the findings (and it’s noticeably very quiet on that front) the FACT is that the corruption was proven for a number of significant reasons – ANY ONE OF WHICH would have led to the same net result.

Which is why there is no way back for the ex-Mayor.

Ducking the facts of the corruption – and why it may have come about – does not help anybody.

It’s important, if LBTH is ever to move on, that we understand the specific reasons WHY this borough has a history of major problems in choosing candidates and running elections – as do a few others across the UK – while the vast majority of UK Council have absolutely no problems with accusations of corrupt practices.

We may have different views as to WHY the corrupt practices happened
* I quoted one view above (expressed by somebody I know who has happily worked with refugees and people from many different cultures for many years). If, for example, lack of familiarity with or credence given to the way things are supposed to work is an issue then this must be addressed.
* Others might cite the awful behaviour of certain protagonists within the Labour Party in recent years. Any notion of a coup is much more credible in this context!
* Yet others might have another view e.g. the George Galloway factor being both divisive and influential on the corruption front.

However, whatever the reasons, the fact is that corruption did happen.

It has been proven in a court of law and that’s why we are having this Mayoral Election.

Four things are important for the future wellbeing of the community of people from all backgrounds who live in Tower Hamlets

First – A CLEAN COUNCIL: it is vital corruption is rooted out both now and in the future. This Election needs to be run as a ‘cleaner than clean’ operation! It must create a benchmark for the future. The rationale for how funds are divided up in future must be completely transparent and rational. Political parties might also think this is an appropriate time to “clean house”.

Second – WORKING AND TALKING TOGETHER: the focus must be on everybody working better together so that the Council has a much better understanding of the needs and priorities of all those needing help from the Council. The best result will be achieved after healthy debate by people who have different perspectives – mixed with a little give and take.

Third – TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY: the Mayor MUST be visible and accountable to both councillors and the entire community. Promises made need to be translated into practical actions and positive outcomes.

Fourth – BETTER SERVICES WITHIN BUDGET: the new Mayor, with the help of officers, must design and deliver better services which meet everybody’s needs – within the funds available to this Council. No more fictitious promises about delivering things that cannot happen. Plus no more wasting money on the trappings of power!

That doesn’t mean everybody gets what they want – no matter how much lobbying they do or how loud they shout!

It also does not mean that votes can be bought by throwing money at specific groups – whichever culture, heritage or history is involved – or who they know!

So it really doesn’t matter who promises what, the fact of the matter is that the record of the next Mayor is going to be based on what they actually deliver.

I worked in and with public services for a long time. I was always taught that a those who do best and survive the longest are those who under-promise and over-deliver.

The fact that even an articulate and seemingly intelligent person such as yourself does not have a proper understanding of the issues is the proof that support for THF is based on misinformation and tribalism. The facts are constantly twisted to fit the ‘racism’ and ‘islamophobia’ narrative. Judiciary is fully independent of the state and claiming that the removal of the Mayor was the work of the government is self-delusional and dishonest.

The information about the influence of the elders comes from within the community itself- lets hope it is not as domineering as it is believed. There is also hope that Bangladeshi luminaries, such as Rushanara Ali, will manage to dispel all the misinformation spread by THF and will appeal to all types of Bengali voters. If Rabina Khan had a tiny fraction of Rushanara’s ability and integrity I would vote for her myself. However she’s proved to be incompetent, dishonest, patronising, untrustworthy, greedy and simply not very clever. A truly worthy successor of the corrupt Mayor. Seriously not good enough to be in charge of a borough which is the size of a small country (same population as Qatar!) and which is in serious money trouble thanks to the former Mayor, who seemed to believe that the LA’s budget existed mainly to satisfy his vanity. So I am afraid there will be no apologies for opposing Rabina, as this is the only choice a well informed and unprejudiced person, who cares for the common good (which includes the wellbeing of the Bangladeshi community), can make.

The irony of this being filmed in front of a banner with “Yes for change” written on it is strong.

Blunt question; how many people, reading this, are surprised by the sentiments expressed in this video? I’m not. It tells us about the thinking behind what we have seen happen in the last 10 years in TH.

The only surprising thing about this video is that it has surfaced. While nothing is said here that surprises me, I am surprised (and impressed) that it has been made public.

Is there a contact at the Electoral Commission that a link to this video could be sent to?

Oh my God. If this is in any way representative of what goes on in local government, my hat is off to you Ted Jeory. Please keep putting your nose into this smelly business and keep us posted because it takes a better man than me to put up with narrow minded, repetitious clap-trap like this.

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